Evans hesitated, but remained standing. "I'd rather just look on." "Now look here, Captain. Doesn't the Star Line always try to please its passengers? Well, I'm a passenger. Or is it just your native caution that makes you afraid of losing?" His laugh did not entirely disguise the irritation in his voice. "All right, anything to oblige," said Evans wearily, pulling up a chair. "What stakes are you playing for?" The Captain lost, slowly and steadily. Mechanically he went through the motions of dealing, discarding, drawing, and betting, but it was obvious that his mind was not on the game. Jasperson rarely lost a hand, if he had stayed at all, while Professor Larrabee's luck was unpredictable, the pile of chips before him fluctuating, growing or diminishing with startling swiftness. They were interrupted once when a waiter came in with a tray of bottles and glasses. The Captain refused. "But one drink won't do you any harm," said Jasperson. "I never drink in space. For one thing, the rules of the Star Line explicitly forbid it, as you should know." "Yes, I helped make that rule. That means I can release you from it." But Evans was firm. "I never drink in space," he repeated. "I'll take two cards--no, make it three." The professor surveyed his hand with his customary sprightly air. "I'll play these," he said. Jasperson discarded. "I'll take one." Captain Evans languidly opened the betting, but after the first round he dropped out, and only Jasperson and the professor remained. Each raised the other persistently, and while Jasperson grew more and more excited, the professor smiled as usual, his eyes glinting with amusement. "And another five," said Larrabee. For the first time, Jasperson hesitated. "You sure you mean it, professor? I kind of hate to clean you out, especially because I doubt if you can afford it." "Suppose you let me be the judge of what is, after all, a private matter?" "All right, it's you that will go bankrupt, not me. And another five." "See you, and raise you five!" * * * * * Jasperson sat back and pondered, his cold eyes calculating. "Now let's review the situation, just among friends. The professor's a smart man, and he isn't rich. He saw me draw one card, so he can make a pretty good guess what I probably hold, if I drew the right card, but he's playing a pat hand, and playing as if he meant it. Well, I've put a lot of credits in that pot, but I never did believe in throwing good money after bad, even in a friendly game. I quit." "What? You mean you're going to drop out without even seeing me?" "I know when I'm licked. Five credits is five credits, even to me." He threw down his cards and reached to gather in the deck. Slowly Professor Larrabee raked in the chips, as Jasperson went on complacently.